Member Movie Reviews

Brent R. (owls86) from TAYLOR, TX Reviewed on 12/1/2010...

This is by far my favorite of all of the biggest loser workout videos that I have done so far. Even the low intensity work out is intense. If you will stick with this and push yourself, then you will see results, not to mention, maybe be feeling it for a few days after. I highly recommend this workout!

Pamela L. (Pam61) from PROVIDENCE, RI Reviewed on 1/2/2008...

I love this workout! Bob is so motivational and he makes exercising fun! I hadn't seen the show, so I enjoyed the special feature highlighting Suzy and Matt's success story! In this DVD, there are two cardio programs, and two weight programs to choose from! Weeks one thru three are slightly easier than weeks four thru six, and you alternate your cardio and sculpting days! Or, you can customize your workout...whichever one you like. Also appreciated that the cool down is filmed outdoors and the stretches are held for a LONG time! You won't regret putting this one on your wish list! Bob is super supportive, encouraging, and humorous, too!

2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

Alex D. (SwapaGoat) from STERLING HTS, MI Reviewed on 12/6/2007...

It's nice to see a workout video where all the people on the video aren't smiling think perfectly fit people. In the Biggest Loser, you get to see them struggling along with you.

Really is a great workout for the average person.

5 of 6 member(s) found this review helpful.

Movie Reviews

Its a Keeper

M. Simpson | Peoria, IL United States | 12/02/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This DVD has 5 different programs. You get 2 cardio segments 20 minutes a piece, a weights segment also 20 minutes, a bootcamp segment also 20 minutes, and a stretch segment which is only 10 minutes. The workouts are actually pretty challenging. The quality of the workouts are good, but there are a couple of reasons why I give this 4 stars instead of 5. This is very high impact. If you have joint problems this is not the DVD for you. There is ALOT of jumping. Also, this must have been recorded before the finale because the cast of former contestants were visibly unable to keep up on some of the exercises. Also, sometimes they would be going at a different pace, or be on a different foot, than Bob the trainer. These things can be pretty distracting. The versatility of this DVD is a big selling point. You can choose just one segment, or you can mix & match. Its really very user friendly. So, for the intensity of the workouts & the versatility of this DVD I give it 4 stars."

Excellent Workouts

Dotti Zupko | New Mexico, USA | 12/23/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this mostly because I thoroughly enjoyed the show and definately preferred Bob's training style over Jillian's. I consider myself intermediate/advanced when I purchase workouts. After doing this workout the day I received - - I can definately see why the participants lose weight in the show. This is an EXCELLENT workout and it made me SWEAT. I programmed 60 minutes of workout my first time out and this definately will burn calories and get your heart pumping. The fact you can program what you wish to do is a wonderful feature that you don't receive with workouts costing twice this price. For this price you definately can't go wrong. This is definately a "keeper" workout in my workout regimen."

The Biggest Loser Play at Home Version!

Brett D. Cullum | Houston, TX United States | 01/21/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you're familiar with the show, this is Bob Harper's routines on the DVD (Jillian Michaels is nowhere to be found). The segments offered include the trainer taking up to six of the contestants through a typical workout with him. They say what makes this DVD different than others is the fact they use "normal people" in the room with Bob. They are the contestants who have been excercising with him for a while. The difficulty level of these workouts are pretty accelerated if you've never worked out before. People with joint problems are going to find the constant jumping and kicking somewhat daunting. The worst aspect of this DVD is the people who will want to use it the most may not be able to. They do offer modified versions of the moves at certain times, but for the most part you better be ready to jump and do deep knee bends. Bob talks you through every segment, and thankfully you can choose a "music only" option once you have the routines down (a nice touch for people who do this every day).

There are six routines to choose from, and you can mix and match from the following:

Warm-up (5 minutes) - Basic stretching moves to get you ready to go.

Low Intensity Cardio (25 minutes) - Some jumping jacks, some kicking and punching, and a lot of core strengthening excercises for the begginer.

High-Intensity Cardio (20 minutes) - A more aggressive cardio routine designed for people who have been working out for at least a month. The moves are quick, and there's a lot more jumping. It's constant motion combined with boxing and kicking moves.

Strength and Sculpt (20 minutes) - Use hand weights and a mat or towel to go through a circuit training routine designed to build muscle and sculpt.

Boot Camp (20 minutes) - A combination of of cardio and sculpting that can be done with or without hand weights. This is for people who need a quick workout, and do not have time for both a cardio and sculpting routine.

Cool Down (20 minutes) - Yoga style stretching to get you back to normal after an intense workout.

You can select a combination of routines pre-matched for you, or customize the routines by choosing any combination of the above. Menus are easy enough to navigate, and you shouldn't find it hard to get to where you need to be depending on what your level is. Following along should be easy enough. The only distraction is sometimes the contestants are out of synch with the rest of the group, or they modify the movement according to their body type. I guess the trick is to zero in on the contestant that has your fitness level at first and follow them, but it does make it strange to see people doing variations of the same thing.

The DVD itself looks fine for what it is. Picture and sound are clear, and we get them in fullscreen and simple stereo. Special features include a six week suggested plan, a cast and trainer intro, and Matt and Suzy's story for inspiration. Also tucked in to this package are corporate sponsor 24 Hour Fitness commercials, a message from the fitness company's CEO, and a certificate good for "30 Days Free" at a local 24 Hour Fitness gym. For less than ten dollars you knew someone was going to try and sell you something.

The workouts are a great way to get started. Bob is a pretty detailed trainer even on DVD, but he still can't replace a session with a real fitness expert live in front of you. I'd say this is a good DVD for people who are pressed for time, can't get to a gym, or need to start off doing things in the privacy of the home before going public at the local fitness palace. Gyms can be intimidating, and as long as you move and do something it's better than nothing. If you're a fan of The Biggest Loser this is a good way to start moving with some familiar faces looking back at you. But don't expect it to be easy! It takes a lot of work to lose big."

Real to life and the needs of an exerciser...oh, and fun too

V. A. Coleman | NY, NY | 12/21/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I purchased this DVD on 12/20/05 in a local store. When I got home I looked to Amazon.com for a review and realized that I bought it on the first available date. I wanted to see how it was before I opened the package. In my opinion there is nothing worse than spending money on a workout DVD and then never using it because it sucks. Based on the other review of the product I decided to use it today.

Now, I like the Biggest Loser but the show would depress me sometimes. I was wary about the DVD but thought that it would be a great option for someone like me. Due to massive changes in my life and schedule I've gained 20lbs this year. I recently decided that I could not continue sitting on my ass. I wanted a good workout DVD to use in the cold winter months (and get me through the holiday season).

I put the DVD in my player today and was pleasantly surprised by the content. I like the 6 week workout plan and the different options that are available. What I like most was that the cast participants are "real" during the workouts. They do not act like "workout robots". They struggle, laugh, groan, and sweat. I actually laughed along with them. I love how Matt messes up- I think that would make alot of men more comfortable with doing it.

Bob is really down to earth, too. He is motivating but sometimes I wish he would do more of the workout than "train" me. I glanced at the high impact workout and noticed that Bob barely did the moves. I guess that is probably better because I need someone to motivate me more than show me the moves. He stresses that it is more important to keep moving than to be perfect or hurt yourself.

I really look forward to doing this workout again. I want to do the Boot Camp part next week when it comes up on the plan. I also can't wait to see how I feel and look at the end of the 6 week plan. I definitely needed a DVD that gives me options and is realistic. I hope this DVD helps to keep me motivated and allows me to have fun while getting in shape."

Camaraderie between Bob & BL Gang is fun.

Sheri in Reho | Rehoboth Beach, DE | 09/02/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This DVD features trainer Bob Harper and cast members from The Biggest Loser TV show (Seth, Gary, Matt, Suzy, etc.). The DVD is broken into 2 cardio workouts and 2 sculpting workouts plus 1 warmup and 1 cooldown that are used for all of the workouts. They have a menu that allows you to pick and choose a workout regimen from these pieces or pick a ready-made workout. Love that!

Low Intensity Cardio (20 mins.): Includes some basic cardio warmup and then moves into a light kickbox-style cardio. Being a kickbox fan, it was nice to see some basic kickboxing techniques here. However, just about every other kickboxing workout I've ever done has explained how to punch and kick to not injure yourself and Bob doesn't. As an experienced kickboxer, this was a minor irritation--I just did it how it SHOULD be done, not how he said to do it. But for people new to kickboxing, I am concerned that he doesn't explain proper technique.

High Intensity Cardio (20 mins.): Begins with a faux-jump-rope cardio warmup and moved into some plyometric moves (jumping side to side quickly, etc.), football-style agility drills, high knee lifts and also some kickboxing techniques here too. Definitely intense.

Strength & Sculpt (20 mins.): He does 1-minute circuits of upper body then lower body activity--upper body is lifting weights and lower body is squats and lunges while holding weights. I felt almost every exercise, especially when he has you pulsing or holding those squats and plies. About half of this workout is standing and the rest is on the floor. The floor work is mostly abs but with some buns and triceps.

Boot Camp (20 mins.): Starts out with kickbox punches using weights and moves into calisthenics in 1-minute intervals like in the previous workout. The pace is intense...right when you finish one exercise and you're begging for rest, he pushes you right into the next exercise.

Cooldown (5 mins.): I LOVE this cooldown. It is filmed on a rocky outcropping on a hill that looks like the one they made them climb on the TV show. They do multiple stretches and balance moves in this beautiful outdoor setting.

The biggest weakness of the cardio workouts is that they use only that generic Biggest Loser background music from the TV show. As a result, with no beat, the exercisers get out of synch with each other, with the trainer, and I get out of synch with all of them on a regular basis. This is a REAL PAIN because I otherwise like this DVD quite a bit.

If you are a fan of the TV show The Biggest Loser and especially if you watched the season that included these people, it is a great benefit because you feel like you already know them. There is a great sense of camaraderie and history with Bob and the group. It is obvious that they have all been through this hard work before and it is motivating to see what they look like and feel like now and realize the hard work it took to get there. The only person who really gets on my nerves is Drea during the sculpt workout (too much ego)."